Dream Weaver
by Snodin
Summary: A one-shot fic that gives light on how Rainbow Dash saved Scootaloo during "Sleepless in Ponyville."


___Ever wonder how it was that Rainbow Dash managed to wake up from her deep sleep just in time to save Scootaloo from the waterfall drop?_

..

"******DREAMWEAVER"**

******A Princess Luna and Rainbow Dash Story**

******Set in **_**"**__****__**Sleepless in Ponyville"**_

..

The night was still young in the untamed forest, but the small group of pony campers had to turn in early, because they had a big day ahead of them. They consisted of two sister teams- two white unicorns, and two earth ponies with Southern twangs in their voices- plus a feisty tomboy of a blue Pegasus.

And finally, there was Scootaloo; a small orange Pegasus pony with wings shorter than normal, putting her at a disadvantage among her fellow winged ponies. But that was the least of Scootaloo's problems at the moment; while the others were ready to hit the hay, she was on edge due to having nightmares the night before. And thanks to her idol Rainbow Dash's newest campfire story about a ghostly headless horse, she just knew that tonight was going to be just as hard to sleep through.

It didn't help that the team was willing to sleep in a big dank cave, either.

Her fellow fillies, Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle, were already tucking themselves into their sleeping bags while their wild-eyed friend begged, "How 'bout just one more song? …Anyone? …How 'bout a dance contest? I know you love to cut a rug, so how 'bout we mess up a cave floor? …I got a brilliant idea: Hide n' Seek! Who's with me?"

Her barn-raised friend Apple Bloom took in a big yawn before replying, "Maybe t'morrow." Just as she finished her sentence, the little filly collapsed into dreamland, causing Scootaloo to hang her head in disappointment.

"Seems like you really don't wanna go to sleep tonight," observed the older and wiser earth pony nearby. "Is there some reason why?"

The little Pegasus put on a brave face and lied, "Puh, of course not! I just___love_ camping and hanging out with Rainbow Dash so much, that I don't wanna waste a single minute with sleep! _****__**Yawn**_… Heh-heh. Silly sleep." Unbeknownst to her, Scootaloo's eyes were already feeling heavy.

"That's cool and all, Scoots," replied the sky blue Pegasus as she screwed corks into her ears. "But this pony needs her shut-eye, and she needs it NOW."

It didn't take much more than that for Rainbow Dash to fall into a sleep so deep, that she began to snore like a wild stallion, a snore that would eventually frighten her young friend into thinking she was the dreaded Headless Horse.

..

"___Face your fears…"_ Those were the last words the Princess of the Night said before she was forced out of the dream world woven by young Scootaloo. But Luna's night was only just beginning.

Using the moon as her watch post, she could see that her message went unfulfilled, as young Scootaloo was zooming on her scooter out of the cave from which her friends set camp. This, she thought to herself, could only end badly. It was time to take a different approach, and she would need some assistance this time.

With her star-filled mane, the night princess began to weave a new dream, one designed to be seen by the one pony that Scootaloo was meant to confide in…

..

___Rainbow Dash was seeing herself in Cloudsdale, racing above an oval-shaped racetrack lined in the colors of the rainbow against The Wonderbolts in what was to be the moment when she would finally be recognized as the greatest flyer in all of Equestria. Though the wind in her ears may have dampened her hearing in reality, here in her dream she could hear the masses gathered around the arena cheering for her: "RAIN-BOW DASH RAIN-BOW DASH! RAIN-BOW DASH!"_

"___Yeah," smiled the rainbow-maned Pegasus. "That's what I like to hear."_

___She was leaving most of her competitors in the dust, literally, when suddenly a small figure came whizzing to her side, keeping up with her._

"___What the… Scoots?" gasped Rainbow. She couldn't believe it; a filly- no, a _crippled___filly- was keeping up with her breakneck pace._

___With her orange wings flapping like a hummingbird's Scootaloo simply glanced over to her idol and saluted her. "Hey, Rainbow. Mind if I cut in here?" And with a great ZOOM, she managed to breeze by her idol, making her spin out of control._

___And as if that wasn't strange or disturbing enough, the crowd was now cheering, "SCOOT-A-LOO! SCOOT-A-LOO! SCOOT-A-LOO!"_

___Pausing from the race, Rainbow watched in complete disbelief. "Hang on a second here!" she protested. "Since when did Scootaloo learn to fly like that?"_

___She kept an eye on the filly, whose wings were starting to cause dark smoke, as though they were engines ready to blow. Rainbow Dash's eyes widened in horror. "Scoots! Slow down! Your wings can't flap that fast! They're gonna…"_

___Just as the blue pony predicted, Scootaloo's wings came to a sudden stop after a loud "Pop" indicated a break in her wings._

"…___burn out," finished Rainbow._

___Little Scootaloo only had a brief moment to realize that her wings were kaput, before she began to plummet down a cloudy void. She let out a scream for help._

"___Hang on, Scoots! I'm coming!"_

___Rainbow Dash took a dive, trying to catch up to Scootaloo as she continued to fall like a rock in the sky. But no matter how fast she could fly, Rainbow just couldn't quite reach the little filly, not even as the two of them reached out to each other with their hooves. The void was growing darker, and darker, as though they were both falling toward the center of the earth. But Rainbow Dash wasn't giving up; she pulled herself further, further, further still…_

.

…until she fell out of her sleeping bag, face first, with a "Thud."

"Scoots?" she gasped as she rose up from her slumber. Rainbow glanced around, unplugging her ears in the process, and soon realized that the sleeping bag beside hers was empty. Scootaloo was gone!

"Oh no," frowned Rainbow. "Where'd she go? Scootaloo? …Come on, shorty, this isn't funny anymore."

Then the pony's ears, now fully opened, picked up the faint sound of a small and desperate cry in the distance: _"____Heeeeelp!"_ She knew that voice.

"Scoots! Hang on, kiddo!" She took off, leaving a rainbow trail behind her.

..

"Heeeeeeelp!" screamed the flightless Pegasus, as she fell into a raging river.

Poor Scootaloo; first she was scared out of the cave, and now she was fighting for her life. The water's current was too strong for her, and her puny wings weren't much help. It was just a matter of time before she either smacked into a rock, or worse… fall off the edge of a waterfall. And sure enough, Option B was rearing its ugly head.

The filly paddled like crazy, but it was no use. She let out one final cry as she felt herself being thrown over the waterfall's edge. But then in a flash, she felt her body rising above the water, above the river in fact.

"I've got you!" cheered the pony that was carrying her.

Scootaloo couldn't believe her luck; she was saved! "Rainbow Dash! Is that you? Thank you, ___thank _you!"

.

But little Scootaloo wasn't out of trouble just yet; Rainbow parked her on a small hill near the campsite, not just so the two of them could breathe, but to give the runaway filly a good talking to.

"What were you doing out here in the middle of the night!?"

Scootaloo glanced away; Rainbow looked mighty mad. How could she tell her the truth now, while her idol appeared to be ready to give her a good scolding?

Just then, a soft hush filled the air, followed by a familiar, almost motherly voice: _"____It is time for you to face your_ real ___fear, Scootaloo…"_

The filly knew this to be Princess Luna; it seemed the princess was watching her even in the waking world. This fact seemed to calm her, just enough to open her mouth and let all her anxieties come pouring out onto Rainbow Dash.

.

As the shadow of the moon, Princess Luna watched as the little filly confessed her fears to her hero. She smiled as she saw the bigger Pegasus wrapped one of her wings around the filly, a sign that she had accepted the filly and forgave her for her actions.

The Princess of the Night glowed with pride; her dream walking and weaving paid off. Another night, another job well done.

She would soon reward the two ponies with a dream that they would share together, in which Rainbow Dash would shoo away the monsters that dared to still haunt her new charge. And Luna herself would be there too, watching and sharing their joy. Those were the sort of dreams she looked forward to weaving.

**.**

**END**


End file.
